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P. 16 Dear Sir, Since your mind is turned to the prophecy of Hosea, will you excuse the freedom I take in submitting the following for your consideration. Hosea 2:6 "Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall that she shall not find her paths". Thus the Israelites when dispersed among the heathen, would not return to their own land, nor pursue the same courses and pleasures as formerly. Ver 7. And she shall follow after her lovers, and she shall not overtake them and shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall shall [sic] she say I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now." The captive Israelites, not being able to find their former pleasures and associates in idolatry, resolved to quit the company and practices of the heathen, in some degree at least and return to God. (See 1 Esdras [Ezra] 13 ch.) Ver 8-12. "For she did not know that I gave her corn and wine & oil, and multiplied her silver and her gold, which she prepared for Baal" &c to the 12th verse.

As Israel had forsaken God, and turned to idols in such a manner as to attribute to their favour all her temporal blessings. Therefore the Lord would deprive her of these blessings, and take away her wool and her flax, that she might be almost naked in the sight of other nations. Her wines and her fig trees, that is, all her vineyards and orchards &c were to be taken from her; as also her corn and wine &c. That is, all the common support of life to which she had afore been accustomed.

Ver. 14.15. "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness" &c

When the captive Israelites came to a determination to have the heathen, among whom they were dispersed, the Lord directed their attention to a wilderness, from which they should receive their support, ("vineyards from thence") The wilderness to which they should go would be a fruitful country (as the valley of tehor) and an earnest of the final blessings to be granted them.

Ver. 18. "And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the fields." &c Lest the Israelites on entering a wild, uninhabited wilderness, should be destroyed by wild beasts, the Lord made a covenant for them with all the wild beasts and reptiles so that, as a people, they need not fear, but might "lie down safely, and sleep in the woods." (Ezek. 34:25)

Ch. 3: 4. For the children of Israel shall abide &c. This doubtless implies that while in the wilderness, they should have no general established form of government, -- no ephod (or breast plate) by which they might consult God, nor yet images, such as idolators usually worship.

But it may be objected that the Indians worship the sun, contrary to what is implied in ver. 16 & 17 of the second chap. Is it certain, however, that Baal am Baalim in those verses necessarily mean the sun? May they not mean the images of the sun? If so, the Indians have nothing to do with them.

Chap. 4: 6, 10, 11, 13 These verses seem very applicable to the Indians. Chap. 7: 8, 9, 10, Thus the Indians seem insensible to all symptoms of decay, and however poor, ignorant, and despised by others, they still retain all their pride and lofty ideas of themselves, believing and affirming themselves to be the beloved people of God, the real people, in distinction from all others.

Chap. 9:17. -- "wanderers among" &c. This seems to present an objective to the Indians, being of the ten tribes, as they were to be wanderers among the nations, whereas the Indians are cast out from the nations. But may we not suppose that seven tribes came to this continent (hence the seven clans or families) and that three tribes remain dispersed among the nations In ver. 3rd it is said, they shall not dwell in the Lords land; but Ephraim shall return into Egypt, yet but few of the ten tribes (or of Ephraim) returned to Egypt because the Lord says again that Ephraim shall not return into the land of Egypt (the body of the people) but, the Assyrian shall be his King. [[unclear] D.S.B.